Analysts saw Van der Poel make rare mistakes, while Van Aert could no longer rely on his sprint: "He's lost his edge a bit"
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Follow us on GoogleThis year, the Tour of Flanders once again turned into the big Tadej Pogacar show. The world champion from UAE Team Emirates - XRG managed to drop everyone, including Mathieu van der Poel, with a monstrous acceleration on the Oude Kwaremont. There was little anyone could do against the power of the Slovenian, but particularly in Belgium, there was still criticism of Van der Poel’s racing tactics. That said, there was nothing but praise for Wout van Aert and Visma | Lease a Bike.
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Van der Poel was gloriously dropped on the final climb of the Oude Kwaremont, but analyst Marc Sergeant believes that wasn’t where the real problem lay for the Dutchman. “Things already went wrong before that,” said the former Lotto manager in his analysis for Het Nieuwsblad. “Twice, something happened to Van der Poel that very rarely happens to him. First, he was positioned too far back the second time up the Oude Kwaremont, and again later on the Stationsberg.”
The Belgian former rider was irritated by the defending champion's positioning. “Each time, he was badly positioned, even though he knows he only has to keep an eye on one man: Pogacar. That’s very atypical of him. Granted, he recovered from it just as quickly both times. Most impressively even, on the Kwaremont. The way he accelerated there, he must have knocked a few cobblestones loose from the road.”
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De Cauwer: "Van der Poel played with fire"
Van der Poel’s efforts were powerful, but they cost a lot of energy. “Energy he probably lacked when Pogacar struck again on the final time up the Kwaremont. And also striking: you could immediately see Van der Poel suffer a mental dip. The eagerness and playfulness that usually define him suddenly disappeared.” In the end, Van der Poel finished third, one minute behind winner Pogacar and behind Mads Pedersen.
José De Cauwer also noticed Van der Poel made a few uncharacteristic errors. But the former team manager doesn’t think they ultimately made a big difference. “During the race, Van der Poel played with fire a few times,” he said afterward on Sporza. “Having to come from too far back after that crash and bike change. Are those excuses? No, they’re not excuses — they’re small mistakes or moments. But let’s just say Pogacar was the best.”
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Bakelants: "As if UAE's just playing on the Playstation"
Jan Bakelants had no criticism to direct at Van der Poel. The former rider was simply impressed by both the Dutchman and his great rival, who once again produced otherworldly performances at times. “This Tour of Flanders was somewhat predictable, yet still incredibly exciting. Just how strong does Tadej Pogacar have to be to drop Mathieu van der Poel like that on the Oude Kwaremont?” he asked in his column for Het Laatste Nieuws. “What he does is impressive. It’s like UAE's just playing on the PlayStation.”
After the thrilling battle at Milan–San Remo, fans were once again treated to a showdown between the titans. Especially on the hills, the two were by far the strongest and consistently dropped their competitors. “Engines like those of Pogacar and Van der Poel — I haven’t seen those in the past 25 years. They do things that are simply not possible for normal mortals.”
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Van Aert in good spirits heading into Sunday: "More than ready for Roubaix"
But it wasn’t just Van der Poel and Pogacar who impressed. Wout van Aert and his teammates also delivered a strong finale, noted Bakelants. “Visma | Lease a Bike played it perfectly. Their tactics came straight from the textbook. They sent a strong rider like Tiesj Benoot ahead, and Matteo Jorgenson supported Wout van Aert for as long as possible, who was clearly the best on the team. Though he has maybe lost his edge a little bit — and I don’t mean that negatively. He’s no longer the most explosive rider of the bunch.”
With Paris–Roubaix on the horizon, the Tour of Flanders played out perfectly for Van Aert. “It’s a result that will give him a lot of confidence. Next Sunday’s race is one for tough riders, less so for explosive ones. Based on what I saw Sunday, he’s more than ready for Paris–Roubaix. Though he’ll only be sure of victory if he enters the velodrome alone. His sprint is no longer a clear weapon. He won’t be any weaker than he was now, that’s for sure.”
De Cauwer also weighed in on the Roubaix discussion. Because Pogacar will also be at the start, and the Belgian sees definite chances for him. “I think he can win. We’ve said it all week: cycling today is about a complete approach. Totally different from ten years ago. It’ll still be easier for him to win the Tour of Flanders than Roubaix. But he wants it. He’s choosing this moment. He will give it a try.”
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- Is the Giro the race that happens before the Tour? And does winning the mountains jersey mean Carapaz scored the most points on climbs? Which race was everyone’s favourite?bikebuffj05-11-2026
- How did Mathieu van der Poel miss the list? His classics results surely put him in the conversation.sprocketspiny05-11-2026
- McNulty deserves more credit than his ranking suggests. A world title and all that work as a domestique make for a superb season.tourdeforce905-11-2026
- Seixas winning Lombardia at 20 is astonishing. The “next Pogačar” label feels a bit premature, though—let him build his own story before piling on the comparisons.andrewf05-11-2026
- Pogačar’s palmarès is ridiculous, but Van Aert deserves a special mention for Roubaix. Beating Tadej in the velodrome was one of the moments of the season.cyclechamp4505-11-2026
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026